Aizawl, Mar 23 : The menace of cooking gas crisis in Mizoram is limited to the state
capital Aizawl only while the rural areas are getting normal supply,
officials disclosed today.

To mitigate the kitchen fuel shortage in
Aizawl, a meeting of top officials here today decided that even those
who were issued cooking gas cylinder from the emergency quota from the
government should produce LPG consumer card and would be issued only
after 15 days from the last time the consumer lifted his LPG cylinder.

The meeting, chaired by chief minister Lal Thanhawla, also decided
that surprise checks should be conducted on hotels and restaurant to
ensure that only commercial gas cylinders are used in the business
establishments.

It also decided that surprise check be conducted on the
LPG agents and distributors by a team of magistrate and IOC officials.
The meeting also observed that the availability of cooking gas in
the black market at anytime indicated some irregularities in the
distribution system.

The meeting also expressed grave
concern over multiple connections by a single family. According to the
records of the state's food, civil supplies & consumer affairs
department, there are currently 2.3 lakh LPG consumers in the state for
which IOC allocates an average of about 1.2 lakh cylinders a month.

Given the fact that there are 221,077 households in Mizoram according
to Census 2011 of which 52.5 percent use LPG for cooking and 44.5
percent still use firewood, a good number of families have multiple
connections. The issue was raised by some journalists during a recent TV
talk show on the LPG crisis.

Mr Lal Thanhawla reiterated that the
cooking gas crisis is not only a national but an international
phenomenon.

Even then, the Mizoram had constantly urged the IOC to hike
the state's quota. He said if the state's quota is even distributed
there would be no such serious shortage. The meeting was attended
by food, civil supplies & consumer affairs minister H Rohluna and
senior officials of the department.